OWL Magazine Korea

Affordable Dakgalbi Restaurant in Seoul’s Gwanghwamun: Seochon Dakgalbi

The Gwanghwamun area in Seoul is a bustling office district, and during lunchtime, you can witness numerous office workers coming out to have their meals. To cater to this demand, you’ll find various restaurants gathered in the underground shopping areas of large buildings.

The underground floor of the Doryeom Building, located to the west from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, is a prominent building known for housing a concentration of restaurants. Here, you can explore a diverse range of menus, from traditional Korean set meals to curry houses, army stew eateries, instant tteokbokki stalls, and Japanese-style rice bowl places.

“Seoul Gwanghwamun Doryeom Building Dakgalbi Restaurant: Seochon Dakgalbi”

You can find various restaurants on the underground floor of Doryeom Building, and among them is a restaurant called “Seochon Dakgalbi.” While the combination of an underground shopping area and Dakgalbi might seem a bit unusual, being located in the underground area allows for the advantage of trying Dakgalbi at an affordable price.


However, since Gwanghwamun is always bustling during lunchtime, you can easily spot a lot of people lining up in front of the restaurant from around noon when formal dining begins. If you’d like to avoid waiting in line, it’s advisable to visit a bit earlier or slightly later.

“A Dakgalbi Restaurant for Office Workers”

This place can be considered a Dakgalbi restaurant targeting office workers. As with restaurants typically located in underground shopping areas, it caters to office workers as its main clientele. It has a regular restaurant ambiance, catering to those who have their meals there as part of their daily routine.

The restaurant isn’t particularly spacious, with about six tables available. Therefore, it can accommodate around 15 to 20 people at once.

“Affordable Pricing for Dakgalbi”

The prices for Dakgalbi for one person are 9,000 won for Cheonpan Dakgalbi and 10,000 won for Cheonpan Jjukkumi. If you add extra servings or fried rice, it costs an additional 2,500 won each.

  • Cheonpan Dakgalbi for One: 9,000 won
  • Cheonpan Jjukkumi for One: 10,000 won
  • Bongpyeong Buckwheat Makguksu (Bibim, Mul) 6,000 won
  • Additional Servings (Jjolmyeon, Ramen, Udon, Cheese, etc.): 2,500 won
  • Fried Rice: 2,500 won

“Cheonpan Dakgalbi for Two”

On this visit, two of us ordered Cheonpan Dakgalbi for two people. We added Jjolmyeon as an extra serving. After tasting the Dakgalbi, we also ordered fried rice to complete our meal. Despite having Dakgalbi, the cost didn’t add up to be too high, making it a cost-effective restaurant.

Overall, it gives off a vibe of being a restaurant catering to nearby office workers, providing a place where you can step out for a delicious meal during lunchtime.

However, despite the restaurant’s name being “Seochon Dakgalbi,” it’s not located in Seochon but rather situated south of the Seochon Village.

“Seoul Gwanghwamun Restaurant: Seochon Dakgalbi Gwanghwamun Main Branch”

  • Address: B1F 4, Doryeom Building, 37 Saemunan-ro 5-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul
  • Phone: 02-730-2440
  • Closed on Saturdays and Sundays